The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-23
"REMINISCENCES OF LOGAN.
Incidents of the Life Of the Dead Soldier
Told by an Intimate Friend.
The Beau Ideal of Dashing and Chivalric
Soldier, Who Was Loved and Esteemed by
the Officers and Men Of His Command.


The personal relations of the writer of these
incidents and "reminiscences with the dead SOL
der were of the most cordial and intimate char
Fifteenth Corps at Scottsboro, Ala, soon after
the battle of Missionary Ridge, down to the day
Of his death. The Fifteenth Corps was first
commanded by General Grant, then by General
Sherman, and lastly by General Logan. 1t was
composed of as fine body Of men as ever shout
dered a musket or faced an enemy, and it was
only q few days since that General Sherman, in
an interview, declared that sometimes he thought
the Fifteenth the superior of any other
corps In the army. / remember that
about the time General Logan took
command Of the corps, rumor had prevailed
for some time in camp-it may haye been only
.'grape- vine" report-that it was to be given
General Frank p Blair. A large number Of the
this, az they deemed General Blair to be too
reckless for SO large and important command,
and they were guilty of the unmilitary proceed
ing of calling on General Sherman In body to
state their preference that the command should
be given to Logan. Whether the expression of
these officers had anything to do with the seec-
tion. cannot say; but feel sure that it
led to that friendly intimacy that al
ways prevailed between General Logan
and his subordinate officers 1t was always Gus
tomary when In camp for at least the brigade
commanders-and very frequently regmental
headquarters every day. As a consequence, an
Intimacy grew up between them that prevailed,
feel sure to greater degree in the Fifteenth
than IN any other corps in the Western army
1t must not be understood by this that the init
macy was so great as to interfere with the dis
cipline, morale, and esprit du corps Of the COM
mand. On the contrary, General Logan had a
manner about him whom on duty that a mere
glance at his countenance would give the subor-
dinate to understand that 1t would be dangerous
to dsobey or fail to fulfill any and all orders
that might be given.
No officer in the army possessed to a greater
degree :he love and esteem of his command than
did General Logan. He was the beau ideal of
the officers and men over whom he was placed,
and in the home of every surviving soldier who
served under him there is mourning to day, as
sincere as though it was for the death of an i'm
mediate member of his family. Few men dur
mounted on his coal black charger, than did Gen.
Logan. The first time saw Gen. Joe Hooker on
horseback he reminded me very much of the
portraits to which we have become accustomed
OF the officers of the Continental army. Logan's
appearance was entirely different. He sat on his
horse like centaur; his coal black hair: his
heavy, dark mustache; his swarthy complexion;
his SLOUGH hat all aided in presenting figure at
once so striking as to become the observed Of
all Observers
His disposition was of the pleasantest charac-
ter. He was Joval and full of fun; could tell
story equal to the best raconteur, and possessed
the ability to mimic the brogue of auld Ireland
TO a very great degree. Indeed. he could scarce
~ be excelled in this particular, and it was
worth five mile ride to hear him recout the in
cldent so often told since the Of the meeting
OF the lrishman belonging to Logans corps,
with one Of Hookers men soon after their ar
rival from the Potomac, and whose inquiry of
the Eastern soldier about his badge led to the
adoption OF the cartridge box, with it's legend of
forty rounds" as the badge of the Fifteenth.
This incident has been often published, and
hence 1t Is not necessary to repeat it here but 1t
is fact that the adoption of the cartridge box
as the badgt of the corps was based on this an
ocdote
Soon after taking command Of the corps at
Scottsboro, General Logan removed his head.
quarters to huntsville about forty miles west
ward. Drills and reviews were numerous dur
ing the winter preceding the Atlanta campaign,
and have sometimes attributed his warm feel
ing toward myself individually to the fact that
my repiment-the Twelfth Indiana Infantry
had the reputation of being the best drilled and
disciplined In the corps. do not say this in
boasting spirit, but as fact that was admitted
by the officers of all the other organizations
The Sunday evening dress parades at the beau
tiful camp at Scottsboro--so beautiful and arts
tic in its construction that 1t WAS illustrated in
Harper's Weekly during the winter the regi-
ment lay at that point-waS visited by officers
and soldiers OF all other commands within a ra-
dius OF I'VE miles, including also the many visit
ors from the North, consisting of both ladies and
gentlemen, the friends and wives of many Of
-Icsrsr who, during that winter, came down and
remained with the army for weeks The repu-
tation OF the regiment was 80 great in drill and
discipline that General Logan at once detailed
one OF the companies as headquarters guard
and it so remained until after the grand review
at Washington City. in May, 1865 The Thir-
teenth Regular Infantry-General Shermans
own command-belonged to the Fifteenth
Corps, and it was General Logan's boast that the
Twe,ssa: Indiana ccn.d excS,, It in all the drills
exceps the bayonet exercise in which the lat
ter regiment made no pretensions whatever.
This was as much source of pride, seeming
y, to General Logan as 1t was to the men and
officers of the regiment itself-for to excel the
regulars" with volunteers" was a great de-
light to him.
The ader conversant with the history of the
war vii no doubt remember that Gen. James B.
Mcpherson commanded the Army of the Ten
nessee during the Atlanta campaign and that on
the 22d day of July. 1864, General Hood-with
whom jeff Davis had superseded the careful and
skillful General Johnston-anxious to do some
thing of a startling nature on assuming the COM
mand of the rebel armies, at an early hour on
that morning came out of tho works of Atlanta,
and, with the flower of the confederate army
made savage attack on General Sherman's left
and rear, near Decatur His onset was so sud
Sixteenth CORDS
The Army OF the Tennessee-marching along the
fuble highway unconsciously, not know
ing the enemy was near-was
temporarily thrown Into disorder, and
In forming the troops into line, General Nc
Pherson was killed. General Logan was the
ranking officer in the Army of the Tennessee
next to Mcpherson, and at once assumed COM
mand; and if he had had no other recommends
tions for the military honors that clustered
around his brow, the skii1ful manner in which
he handled his troops on that day would have
stamped him as the born soldier he was ;Fhe
Army OF the Tennessee consisted of three large
corps. TO have the command of such large
body OF troops suddenly thrust upon him In the
midst OF battle that the rebels intended should
turn the entire left flank of General Sherman's
army might very naturally appal the
stoutest, the bravest heart Not SO
with Logan; he was everywhere: now
on this flank and again on that.
think can see him now, rushing forward to a
4 hreafened mint To hrir !,